NEWS
--One person was hurt in a crash in Morrison County. The Minnesota State Patrol says the incident happened on Highway 27 west of Little Falls just before 5:00pm Sunday. A pickup driven by 70-year-old David Zimmerman of Little Falls was going west and had stopped to turn left when it was struck from behind. The driver of the second vehicle was 24-year-old Samantha Rech of Browerville. Rech was taken to St. Gabriels Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Zimmerman was reportedly not hurt in the accident.
--A St. Augusta teen was killed in a crash Saturday night. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says deputies responded to a crash in the 21000 block of 23rd Avenue in St. Augusta around 10:30pm. Authorities say a passing motorist called in and reported an overturned SUV. When deputies arrived, they found the driver, 17-year-old Charlie Boike, trapped inside the vehicle. They removed him and started life-saving measures, but he died at the scene. The sheriff's office says the SUV left the road, entered the ditch and rolled. Authorities say slippery road conditions likely played a role in the incident. Boike was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash. Boike was a junior at Tech High School and also was a member of the St. Cloud Crush hockey team.
--The Morrison County Attorney's Office reported that 39-year-old Mitchell Lange of Little Falls was charged in Morrison County District Court with two felony counts of arson for setting wildfires. The charges stem from a May 2022 incident. According to the criminal complaint, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources became aware of a series of unusual wildfires set near roadsides in the generalized area in and around the city limits of Little Falls. The first fire, which occurred May 2nd, burned a roughly 25-by-25 foot area at the intersections of Ginger Road and 138th Avenue. The report states that the second fire was on May 3rd, and it burned about 1/10th of an acre near the intersection of Green Road and Ginger Road. A third fire popped up that same day. It, too, burned about 1/10th of an acre of lowland grasses. A third fire on May 3rd, and fourth overall, broke out later and was about the same size as the first two. In addition, there were two other small fires located in the area. One of them burned about a 25-by-25 foot area and the other a 5-by-10 foot area. The complaint states that, on May 5th, a report was called in regarding a fire near the Fletcher Creek boat landing, which burned about four acres. Investigators with the DNR allegedly discovered a tan Buick LeSabre registered to a “Paul Lange” was captured in surveillance video from a business located near one of the May 3rd fires. The same or similar vehicle was captured on a residential surveillance video near Fletcher Creek, May 5th. Upon arriving at the Lange residence, a conservation officer spoke with Paul Lange. He stated that the vehicle registered to him belongs to his son, Mitchell Paul Lange. Two conservations officers then spoke to the younger Lange. Initially, he denied any involvement in the fires. He said he “just drove by them.” However, he later told officers that he threw a cigarette butt from his car, near the scene of one of the fires then eventually, he admitted that he “started a piece of garbage on fire” at the Fletcher Creek boat landing and admitted to waiting a while after starting it. Finally, he told law enforcement that he lit a receipt on fire to start another blaze. Lange gave permission to conservation officers to search the back seat of his vehicle, where found were two lighters, though Lange denied that he used them to start the fires. If convicted, Lange faces five years imprisonment and/or $10,000 fine.
--The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning from noon today to noon on Wednesday. Snow accumulations have gone down to 2-4 inches tonight and maybe another inch before tomorrow night but there is a better chance of rain, sleet and freezing rain this afternoon causing slippery conditions, then all snow tonight into Wednesday. Wind gusts over 40mph are expected late in the day today, through tonight and into tomorrow causing blowing snow and sleet and poor visibility on the roadways. This is just the first of a two storm systems after the nasty weather late Tuesday and Wednesday then a bit of a lull until more snow by noon on Thursday and lasting into Friday which could bring another 2-4 inches of snow. Then the cold returns with strong northwest winds on Friday and temps in the teens Saturday and single digit highs on Sunday. Please prepare some hazardous road conditions Tuesday late afternoon, evening, overnight and into Wednesday afternoon for the area as again a Winter Storm Warning goes into effect today at noon.
--The Morrison County Sheriff's Office located some fishing gear on Saturday, near the west access of Lake Alexander. If you are missing fishing gear, and can identify it call the sheriff's office at 632-9233.
--An Annandale man has pleaded guilty to murder in the drug overdose death of a man in 2021. 26-year-old Zachary Wolf plead guilty to one count of 3rd degree murder for providing the meth/fentanyl mix that led to the death of a male victim in South Haven Township in March of 2021. An autopsy ruled the victim died from the overdose of the mixture of drugs. Wolf is scheduled to be sentenced in February in Stearns County District Court.
--The Holy Trinity Christian Mothers/Catholic Women of Royalton potluck holiday meal & meeting scheduled for tonight is being postponed until Tuesday, January 10th.
--The Mary of Lourdes Elementary Christmas Program scheduled for tonight has been moved to Monday, December 19th due to weather.
--Holdingford Schools announced they will close at 1pm today.
DEATH NOTICES
--John Jack Happke, age 77 of Pierz and Henderson, Nevada.
--Virginia “Virgie Litke, age 79 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
WINTER STORM WARNING STARTING AT NOON TODAY.
TODAY= few AM sprinkles, then rain, sleet changing to all snow starting in the afternoon, all snow by late evening, high 33.
TONIGHT= snow likely, 2-4 inches, very strong winds, low 28.
WEDNESDAY= snow, sleet and rain at times, high 35 around 1 inch.
THURSDAY= clouds early, then snow likely 2-4 inches starting around the noon hour and lasting until the late evening then temps drop.
SPORTS
U of M= The University of Minnesota announced they have hired Keegan Cook to become their next head volleyball coach. He spent the past 8 years at University of Washington. The Gopher this year finished 22-9 and lost in the sweet sixteen of NCAA Tournament.
*Continue to listen to Little Falls Radio for if games on the schedule are played tonight in the area due to the weather.
TODAY IN HISTORY
IN 1843= Charles Dickens published “A Christmas Carol”.
IN 1903= The Wright Brothers made their first flight from Kittyhawk.
IN 1974= A Year without a Santa Claus debuts on ABC TV.